Sunday Downtime - All Evolve Media Sites are being migrated to a new data center Sunday Dec 11, 2016. The migration will occur during an 8 AM to 2 PM (Pacific Time) maintenance window. We will have up to 1 hour of downtime for any of our sites.

NHL Draft - ProspectsDiscuss hockey prospects from all over the world and the NHL Draft.

Nick Bjugstad vs Brock Nelson vs Anders Lee

I know that Bjugstad is the most highly regarded of the group but is there much difference between him and Brock Nelson in terms of their potential? Both have similar frames and put up similar numbers in high school. Is Anders Lee that far behind in comparison to Bjugstad and Nelson. What do you see the long term potential is for all 3?

Lee is very underrated on Isles boards. The kid is a beast, and has been doing very well so far in the USHL.

Nelson and Bjugstad are harder to get a read on. High School hockey players are difficult to project in the pros due to the level of competition they face but from what I have heard they are both very skilled. Played at the US WJ development camp and made the first cuts. Bjugstad in particular has been getting alot of praise.

If I had to rank them it would go:

1) Bjugstad
2) Lee
3) Nelson

If Nelson reaches his potential I think he might be better than all of them, but by the same token Bjugstad has aloooot of potential. Lee is probably the safest bet to make the NHL right now though, he was point per game this year with the Gamblers.

All these guys, along with Sheahan.. will be real interesting to watch over the years.. as they are real boom/bust.. they could turn out like a Getzlaf.. but they could also be of the next Slaters or Steckels.

1. Bjugstad 2. Nelson 3. Lee is the order, cut and dry if you ask me. I like all 3 of them, and get hated on because of the competition that they played against. Bjugstad and Nelson I see as good, big 2nd line centers who use their size well. Lee is similar, not as skilled and a little bit smaller, but I see him topping out as a 3rd line grinder.

I know that Bjugstad is the most highly regarded of the group but is there much difference between him and Brock Nelson in terms of their potential? Both have similar frames and put up similar numbers in high school. Is Anders Lee that far behind in comparison to Bjugstad and Nelson. What do you see the long term potential is for all 3?

Bjugstad and Nelson's potential is probably pretty close. The main difference I noticed in watching the US Eval.camp games is that with Bjugstad you get the huge size & strength/power and with Nelson you get more flash/agility. Both of them clearly have a ton of talent though. They are both good skaters for their sizes and handle the puck well for their sizes as well. Nelson is really slick with the puck, he at times looked like a 5'10" guy out there not a 6'3" guy. I just think the Panthers desperately needed a big talented center in their org. and they liked the way Bjugstad projected, a possible huge physical scoring force. Nelson has the size and physicality as well but not to the same degree it seemed like. I can't comment on Lee.

I have a hard time projecting Anders Lee as anything but a grinder at the NHL level.

Well, facts to date show Lee as Minnesota's 2nd all time points leader in the history of High School Hockey in their AA class, not the smaller A class of Nelson. Lee was also a 3-sport All State athlete, and has only focused on Hockey since last year in the USHL, ending up the leading the league in Goal Scoring, GWG's, 2nd in +- with 38 and was the USHL Rookie of the year, 1st Team All-USHL, and Clark Cup Playoff MVP, at 220 lbs and 6.25" I hardly think he gives up anything size wise to Nelson or Bujgstad. Do grinder's normally put up these kind of numbers throughout their development? With your logic, Nelson and Bujgstad are 4th line AHL players..... Let me know if I missed something notable Nelson and Bujgstad have done.....

I do agree all three have a lot to prove this year playing their first year in D-1 Hockey. Early predictions, Lee with 28pts, Bujgstad with 16 and Nelson 12.

Well, facts to date show Lee as Minnesota's 2nd all time points leader in the history of High School Hockey in their AA class, not the smaller A class of Nelson. Lee was also a 3-sport All State athlete, and has only focused on Hockey since last year in the USHL, ending up the leading the league in Goal Scoring, GWG's, 2nd in +- with 38 and was the USHL Rookie of the year, 1st Team All-USHL, and Clark Cup Playoff MVP, at 220 lbs and 6.25" I hardly think he gives up anything size wise to Nelson or Bujgstad. Do grinder's normally put up these kind of numbers throughout their development? With your logic, Nelson and Bujgstad are 4th line AHL players..... Let me know if I missed something notable Nelson and Bujgstad have done.....

I do agree all three have a lot to prove this year playing their first year in D-1 Hockey. Early predictions, Lee with 28pts, Bujgstad with 16 and Nelson 12.

Interesting post about Anders Lee... However, Isn't he is a year older with (1) year extra of development than Bjugstad and Nelson so this may help A. Lee this year in his first year of college hockey.. However, All (3) prospects seem to be interesting prospects for Team USA down the line

Bjugstad is the big strong center Florida is in need of. He will be our firstline center for years to come. He's not a sure thing, but he's definitly not a bottom 6 forward. And AHL?

You say he'l be your first line center for years to come, than you say hes not a sure thing. Well Bjugstad is far from a sure thing. With highschool players you never know how they will translate their offense.

Bjugstad may have the best chance to become a top 6 player out of those 3, but its by no means as good as you make it up to be. His size will almost ensure an NHL career, but it won't ensure him becoming Floridas number one center, even their number two.

You say he'l be your first line center for years to come, than you say hes not a sure thing. Well Bjugstad is far from a sure thing. With highschool players you never know how they will translate their offense.

Bjugstad may have the best chance to become a top 6 player out of those 3, but its by no means as good as you make it up to be. His size will almost ensure an NHL career, but it won't ensure him becoming Floridas number one center, even their number two.

First of all: "Bjugstad will be our firstline center for years to come, but he's not a sure thing". The difference here is that the first is my and many others expectation, but you never know, right?

I also dislike players coming from highschool lever, cause you never know where they stand compair to other prospects. And the groupe of Mr.Hockey winners, that Bjugstad won, is a list with a bunch of busts or semi-bust.

But there is something different about Nick Bjugstad, his size and skill is great. He was also one of the best at the US camp this summer, he dominated playing with other prospects.

Well, facts to date show Lee as Minnesota's 2nd all time points leader in the history of High School Hockey in their AA class, not the smaller A class of Nelson.

Except for, you know; Anders Lee only actually playing two years of AA hockey at Edina. The other two years he played at single A at St. Thomas Academy alongside Jordan Schroeder. So not all his point totals were accumulated in AA alone. Quite frankly, as a Minnesotan who's seen these three extensively; Anders Lee doesn't even belong in the discussion here. He's a distant third.

As for the other two, Bjugstad's got the upside to be a tremendous player. He's got every tool at his disposal. It'll be interesting to watch his development. Brock Nelson is just an all-around strong hockey player. I think he'll take a very similar direction that a fellow Warroad player and University of North Dakota alum took; that of T.J. Oshie. They're very similar players and once he comes out of that Sioux system he'll be as well rounded as Oshie was/is. I believe Nelson will be the most sure bet out of these three.

Bjugstad is the big strong center Florida is in need of. He will be our firstline center for years to come. He's not a sure thing, but he's definitly not a bottom 6 forward. And AHL?

Saying he'll be our 1st line center for years to come might be a bit ambitious. It's possible he could be a 1st line center, but a more realistic projection from what I understand based on his potential is a good 2nd line center. He's a highschool kid though and pretty raw, so really it's hard to project this early.

Saying he'll be our 1st line center for years to come might be a bit ambitious. It's possible he could be a 1st line center, but a more realistic projection from what I understand based on his potential is a good 2nd line center. He's a highschool kid though and pretty raw, so really it's hard to project this early.

Except for, you know; Anders Lee only actually playing two years of AA hockey at Edina. The other two years he played at single A at St. Thomas Academy alongside Jordan Schroeder. So not all his point totals were accumulated in AA alone. Quite frankly, as a Minnesotan who's seen these three extensively; Anders Lee doesn't even belong in the discussion here. He's a distant third.

I've never seen more than minimal clips of Bjugstad and Nelson.

All three of these players will be freshmen in the NCAA next season, if memory serves me right. Should be very interesting to see how each develops and what impact each has on his team, respectively.

I'm not quite sure who has more of a shot at ice time. I think Bjugstad will be asked to take on a more central role in Minnesota. North Dakota is traditionally stacked (in depth) in the forward ranks and Notre Dame can DEFINITELY use some scoring. With that in mind, Lee may be looked at in a more offensive capacity than the other two. Or maybe not.

However, with respect to the bolded part of the text above, it would seem ironic that your statement comes after what Lee did in the USHL last season, which was pretty impressive. I mean really impressive!

That's not something just anybody does. No guarantee that either Bjugstad or Nelson goes to the USHL and does the same.

Is there not a chance that Lee has grown in leaps and bounds since having devoted himself solely to hockey? Having been an accomplished football player, he was surely spending a good part of the year on a grassy knolls throughout his years between the ages of 14-18, something not to be assumed of the other two.

I'd have to say that right now, at this very moment, Lee is prolly the best of the three. That may be a much different story in 5 years time, but for now, Lee certainly belongs in this conversation.

However, with respect to the bolded part of the text above, it would seem ironic that your statement comes after what Lee did in the USHL last season, which was pretty impressive. I mean really impressive!

That's not something just anybody does. No guarantee that either Bjugstad or Nelson goes to the USHL and does the same.

Is there not a chance that Lee has grown in leaps and bounds since having devoted himself solely to hockey? Having been an accomplished football player, he was surely spending a good part of the year on a grassy knolls throughout his years between the ages of 14-18, something not to be assumed of the other two.

I'd have to say that right now, at this very moment, Lee is prolly the best of the three. That may be a much different story in 5 years time, but for now, Lee certainly belongs in this conversation.

I don't know how much you've seen of the USHL as of late but it's certainly not the type of league it was. And even then, it's not saying a whole heck of a lot. The only real talent in the league as of late is traditionally kids who forgo their Senior and even Junior years of high school. After that; the drop off is considerable with players who may be lucky to be offered D-2 opportunities. If they're lucky.

What Anders Lee did at his age in the USHL is far from impressive. You would expect any type of future D-1 player to put up those numbers and hopefully better at that age. Fellow late 2009 draft pick Erik Haula put up comparable statistics and most aren't all that excited about his projection. However, if there was a player to be excited about in the USHL, that player would be Seth Ambroz, who's almost a full 3 years younger than Lee. That's the type of talent you like to see in the USHL. Not an over-ager like Lee.

Again, coming from someone who's seen a considerable amount of these three players; Anders Lee isn't even near the discussion here. Questionable future sport direction or not; Anders Lee has never been thought of in the same light in this state as Nick Bjugstad nor Brock Nelson.

I'm from Minnesota and watched both Bjugstad and Nelson play at the state tournament. Both are obviously great players, but i liked Bjugstad better. Bjugstad is more of a power forward while Nelson just seemed well rounded. One thing i did notice is on the ice Nelson seemed pretty scrongy. He's tall, but definitely could add some more muscle. Both special players though. Personally, i think that florida got a steal because some teams are a bit skeptical when it comes to high school players due to the "level of competition". To be honest, our top high school teams are similar to top tier 1 AAA, just not quite as deep because all of the players come from your school district, you can't pull from all over the country like the AAA teams. Our top high school teams always give Shattuck a run for there money and sometimes beat them.

I've always thought Lee was one of those guys whose success came more from athletic ability compared to his competition and being paired with some high-end players. He really should not be a Bjugstad v. Nelson conversation.

__________________
Blog: First Round Bust: A Cast of Thousands celebrating a rather dodgy track record of Minnesota Wild Drafting.

I don't know how much you've seen of the USHL as of late but it's certainly not the type of league it was. And even then, it's not saying a whole heck of a lot. The only real talent in the league as of late is traditionally kids who forgo their Senior and even Junior years of high school. After that; the drop off is considerable with players who may be lucky to be offered D-2 opportunities. If they're lucky.

What Anders Lee did at his age in the USHL is far from impressive. You would expect any type of future D-1 player to put up those numbers and hopefully better at that age. Fellow late 2009 draft pick Erik Haula put up comparable statistics and most aren't all that excited about his projection. However, if there was a player to be excited about in the USHL, that player would be Seth Ambroz, who's almost a full 3 years younger than Lee. That's the type of talent you like to see in the USHL. Not an over-ager like Lee.

Again, coming from someone who's seen a considerable amount of these three players; Anders Lee isn't even near the discussion here. Questionable future sport direction or not; Anders Lee has never been thought of in the same light in this state as Nick Bjugstad nor Brock Nelson.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GopherState

I've always thought Lee was one of those guys whose success came more from athletic ability compared to his competition and being paired with some high-end players. He really should not be a Bjugstad v. Nelson conversation.

These posts are spot on. At the USHL level, Lee scores by running people over. He's not going to be able to do that in the NCAA, much less in the NHL.

I don't know how much you've seen of the USHL as of late but it's certainly not the type of league it was. And even then, it's not saying a whole heck of a lot. The only real talent in the league as of late is traditionally kids who forgo their Senior and even Junior years of high school. After that; the drop off is considerable with players who may be lucky to be offered D-2 opportunities. If they're lucky.

What Anders Lee did at his age in the USHL is far from impressive. You would expect any type of future D-1 player to put up those numbers and hopefully better at that age. Fellow late 2009 draft pick Erik Haula put up comparable statistics and most aren't all that excited about his projection. However, if there was a player to be excited about in the USHL, that player would be Seth Ambroz, who's almost a full 3 years younger than Lee. That's the type of talent you like to see in the USHL. Not an over-ager like Lee.

Again, coming from someone who's seen a considerable amount of these three players; Anders Lee isn't even near the discussion here. Questionable future sport direction or not; Anders Lee has never been thought of in the same light in this state as Nick Bjugstad nor Brock Nelson.

I have to laugh at the two MN locals taking shots at Lee. Lets compare all three Seniors year.

Lee's Senior year in HS alone as compared to Nelson's and Bjugstad' clearly outclasses them by a distant mile. Lee' Sr year in HS while playing football games on Friday nights led the Bauer NIT tournament in scoring, was the Schwanns Cup tournament scoring leader, was runner-up in Scoring for the year in AA and led the State Tournament in scoring with 9 pts. Did Bjugstad even register a point in last years state tournament???? In fact Lee's Sr. Year when he played against Bjugstad lee registered 7pts to Bjugstad's 0pts.

You two make him out to be some big kid on skates, with no skill and brains. I'll take the QB gatorade player of the year, and his raw hockey talent any day. My prediction Lee will be a 2nd line Center for ND this year and the point production and even more importantly his +- will be much higher than Nelson and Bjugstad.

Nelson, will struggle to play full time at North Dakota and both will probably endure loss of games due to injury playing at the D-1 level.

Perhaps Lee will have his day when ND plays the Gophs outdoors at TCF in 2011 Do your homework boys and get back to me with something that sticks. Interesting stat. 32 of Lee's 35 goals were even strength this year for GB, but probably because he's just a strong kid....and its just the USHL.

I've always thought Lee was one of those guys whose success came more from athletic ability compared to his competition and being paired with some high-end players. He really should not be a Bjugstad v. Nelson conversation.

Interesting thought... You may be on to something. Jordan Schroeder's best year in HS was with Anders Lee at LW at St. Thomas. In fact that was the year St. Thomas won the State Championship when Lee registered three points in the Championship game, 5 for the tournament while Schroeder had two for the entire tournament.....hmmmmm. I am sure your GopherState mentality does not prevent you from being biased though. It must come down to those lucky talented line mates he had all those years.